Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower recently spoke openly about the potential appointment of Virat Kohli as the team’s captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
Flower claimed that the franchise has not yet made a final decision on the captaincy of the team. Kohli is one of RCB’s frontrunners for the IPL 2025 season. The star cricketer has, as expected, been retained by the franchise ahead of the mega auction.
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Will Virat Kohli become the next RCB captain? Andy Flower answers
Speaking to Sports Tak, Andy Flower revealed that Virat Kohli has yet to be approached for the captaincy. Cvijet called for continued anticipation in the new cycle with a potentially different team.
“Well, you’ll have to wait for the outcome. We’re entering a new era, the beginning of a three-year cycle, and I’m sure the wait will be good for you. You can ask me all you want, but that communication hasn’t happened yet,” Flower said.
Virat Kohli previously led RCB from 2013 to 2021. Under his leadership, RCB reached the final once in 2016 where they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kohli finished as the top run-getter that season with 973 runs, which is still the record for the most runs. runs scored in a season.
However, he stepped down as captain after the 2021 IPL to focus more on the bat as he was going through a tough phase with the bat. He also gave India captaincy to Rohit Sharma during this period. Faf du Plessis led RCB from 2022 to 2024 in which the team reached the play-offs on two occasions but failed to reach the final.
Other options to lead RCB
Along with Virat Kohli, the other options to lead RCB are Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Phil Salt. Patidar and Krunal Pandya have previously led their respective state teams Madhya Pradesh and Baroda in domestic cricket.
Krunal Pandya has also led his previous franchise Lucknow Super Giants in the absence of regular captain KL Rahul in the past. Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been the vice-captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past and has also led the team for a few matches.
Bhuvneshwar also captained his state team Uttar Pradesh in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Phil Salt, signed by RCB for INR 11.50 crore this year, has also led England in Jos Buttler’s absence.
Virat Kohli’s recent form
Virat Kohli has been going through tough times lately. The 36-year-old had a torrid time in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he scored 190 runs in nine innings at an average of just 23.75. He was constantly troubled by balls drifting away outside the off stump.
However, Kohli’s appearance with the white ball was not a cause for concern. He was the top run-getter in IPL 2024 with 741 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 156.70, helping his team qualify for the playoffs in dramatic fashion.
